ICTY INVESTIGATORS CARRY OUT SEARCH IN MOSTAR & VITEZ

( Editorial: --> 2575 ) MOSTAR/VITEZ, Sept 23 (Hina) - A group of Hague Tribunal investigators on Wednesday carried out a raid of the former Croat defence ministry building in western Mostar. The raid, which lasted several hours, was secured by armed SFOR soldiers who were deployed in the building. Escorted by SFOR soldiers, the investigators left the building in the afternoon, carrying a computer and four sealed boxes. They refused to give any statement to the gathered reporters. During the search, several dozen SFOR vehicles, including armoured ones, were parked near the building but traffic was not blocked. A number of armed SFOR soldiers were spotted in the part of the town where the building is located. Spokesman for the SFOR Multinational Division for Sector South- East Francois Grandeau told reporters this morning that two simultaneous actions of the International Criminal Tribunal for Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) were underway in Mostar and Siroki Brijeg. SFOR is ready to help the Tribunal in its efforts to bring to justice people suspected of war crimes, Grandeau said. Eye-witnesses said the investigators had taken a large amount of stationery, books and a map of Bosnia-Herzegovina with inter- entity and inter-cantonal borders. SFOR soldiers this morning blocked all roads leading to the municipal building and the building of defence administration for Travnik, which is based in Vitez, the news agency Habena reported. Local residents were informed through leaflets that ICTY officials were in the field gathering evidence on war crimes suspects and that SFOR and local police were supporting their efforts. (hina) rml/sp 232004 MET sep 98